The Sequoia pitch moth attacks ponderosa pine. Larvae of this insect bore into the tree's
cambium layer, especially around injuries and pruning cuts, and this stimulates pitch and resin flow.
Only prune in the months of October through January. In the Willamette Valley,
trunks may produce much pitch in response to insect attack. However,
genotypes adapted to Valley conditions are reportedly less prone to serious injury by pitch moths.

Hardy to USDA Zone 3 British Columbia to Mexico, east to South Dakota and
Texas. In the Pacific Northwest it is most commonly found east of the Cascades, however in
Oregon it is common in the western valleys of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Rivers.